Over the years, a wide variety of devices have been utilized by people in an attempt to keep themselves dry outdoors when it is raining, snowing, or there is other precipitation. Common devices include umbrellas and wide brimmed hats.
Umbrellas can be collapsed into a relatively low volume configuration and perform the precipitation-protection function very well under many circumstances. However they require that the user use his/her hands to maintain them in a proper position, and they have a relatively delicate construction which can fail catastrophically upon certain wind loadings. Large brimmed hats also can be advantageous, however they are difficult to store properly and transport from place to place when not needed to protect a wearer from precipitation.
According to the present invention, a device is provided which can function as an umbrella or a large brimmed hat, and which is readily collapsible into a low volume configuration, and deployable into a precipitation-protecting configuration. The device according to the invention is constructed of relatively simple components, is unlikely to fail catastrophically, and can properly protect the head and upper body of a wearer while allowing the wearer's hands to remain free.
The precipitation-protecting device according to the invention comprises a covering of flexible material, such as cloth treated to be water repellant, transparent plastic, or the like, with a perimeter means for the covering. The perimeter means includes a plurality of distinct relatively rigid support members, such as a plurality of hard plastic tubular members. Elastic means are provided for operatively connecting the tubular members so that they are movable from a first, low volume configuration in which a plurality of the members are side-by-side and the flexible covering is folded and bunched up, to a second, deployed configuration in which adjacent tubular elements are connected together in end-to-end relationship to define a relatively rigid perimeter for the flexible covering. The perimeter is in the form of a closed loop, such as a polygon approximating a circle or ellipse.
The perimeter may also comprise tubular retaining elements between the support members. The elastic means preferably comprises one or more bands of elastic material that extend through one or more of the tubular support members, and are held to the tubular retaining means as by abutments and knots, or clamps. A single continuous band of non-metallic elastic material may pass through all of the support members and bias them together in the deployed configuration, or a closed lopp band of elastic material may be provided at each joint between adjacent support elements.
Preferably, the flexible covering is supported at a central portion thereof, interior of the perimeter. Support is preferably provided by fastening means for attaching the flexible covering to a wearer's head (such as headband and/or straps). Alternatively, however, if the wearer does not wish to use the device as a hat, a handle may be provided which merely engages the undersurface of the flexible covering at a central portion thereof to allow the flexible covering to be held over the wearer's head. The handle is unconnected to the perimeter means.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an effective and versatile device for protecting a user from precipitation. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.